How to use File Locking with Word
Use MDO File Locking when you are sharing a Word or other word processing document with others. A file lock is used to prevent two people from opening and updating the same document at the same time, resulting in one person’s updates wiping out the other’s.
File Locking is available for Word in the My Docs Online Desktop App, which works with all versions of Windows and Mac OS X, all versions of Microsoft Office Word, and other word processing applications such as OpenOffice, Word Perfect, iWork, and others.
To use the Desktop App for File Locking follow the following steps:
- Select the Word Document you have previously uploaded to My Docs Online and click “Lock & Open”
- The document will be locked on the MDO servers, downloaded to your PC or Mac, and opened for editing
- After completing your editing Save & Close the document in Word
- In the Desktop App Click “Save & Unlock” for the document. Your changes will be uploaded to the MDO servers and the document will be unlocked. The date and time for the document will be updated.
If you change your mind and need to discard your changes right-click the document in the Desktop App and select “Unlock without Saving”.
The WebDAV protocol used by Web Folders also supports File Locking for Microsoft Word, including Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-bit Editions, and Windows 7, and Office 2003, 2007, and 2010. The latest combination of Windows and Office 2010 is less reliable than previous versions of Windows and Office.
The Desktop App and Web Folders can work in combination. For instance one user could use the Desktop App to Lock and Open a Word file and a Web Folders user would not be allowed to edit the same file at the same time.